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Iberostar Cozumel: Traveler Reviews


Iberostar Cozumel
Costera Sur, km. 17,785, Cozumel 77600, Mexico
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Traveler Reviews

86% Recommend
4.5 of 5 stars 1,061 reviews
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Iberostar Cozumel

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2 of 5 stars
A TripAdvisor Member
Dallas, Texas
Nov 23, 2004
9/14 found this review helpful

I returned from the Iberostar Cozumel after a 4 day stay from November 12th thru the 15th. Traveled down with 3 buddies who were there for the diving (I do not dive, but went along to hang out and relax). This is my 2nd trip to Cozumel and I have been to Playa del Carmen 3 times before. The previous trips to Playa were at higher end resorts as I was traveling with my wife, I did not feel it necessary to stay at a high end location since this time I was traveling with guys.

We traveled down with an Adventure Tours charter on Ryan Air, the flight from Dallas was on time and the service was good. Immigration, Customs and Transfers were pretty easy.

The hotel is about a 30 minute drive from the airport and about 20 minutes and $20.00 from Downtown Cozumel. We arrived around 11 and were advised that the room would be ready in about 1 hour, which it was. Check in revealed an average lobby with pretty basic amenities.

The rooms are cozy, with the downstairs having much lower ceilings than the upstairs rooms, which have a vaulted thatched roof. Rooms have a mildew odor, much more prevalent than the other resorts I have stayed at. My friends downstairs room was really bad. They never seem to completely dry out.

I cranked up the AC as soon as we got there and noticed it was not cooling well. I checked the air filter and it was filthy, I just removed it and the system started pumping more air. Our room had a motion detector to turn off the AC if no one has been in the room for a while. I rigged a couple of towels onto the blades of the fan to keep the AC running all day, this helped the odor and kept the room cool when I returned throughout the day.

It was now lunch, so I went to the poolside restaurant. Frankly, the food is average to below average in my opinion. Not very visually appealing, flies buzzing around. Again I have been to several resorts in Mexico and understand this is not a US Hotel or Resort, but nevertheless the food was barely edible in my opinion. One day I got a hamburger and several bites tasted like they had sand in them.

The pool is decent with a swim up bar. There are a number of poolside activities throughout the day, which some people like, but I did not partake. Sometimes the level of commotion between these activities and the children in the pool got to be a bit loud. Liquor served is well liquor and local beer, with a couple of recognized brands such as Bacardi and Jose Cuervo. The drinks were average in strength and the wait at the bars was never too long.

In the evening there was a sometimes-overwhelming smell of raw sewage around some the rooms. The resort is spread out as there a number of bungalows that are 2 story and house maybe 6 or 8 rooms. The problem was not all over the resort but nearby building 89 where we stayed, it was almost to the point of gagging. I spoke with one gentleman by the pool who told me he actually had to throw up after dinner due to the smell. It was so bad one night, it woke me up. Also the smell permeated into the bathrooms. It seemed to be worse at night, perhaps due to the number of showers taken in the evening.

We ended not taking in any dinners there, as we went into town to Primos (excellent) or other restaurants, paying the $20.00 each way.

The beach is well shaded under a number of palm trees, but almost too much so, as it restricts your view. You can get a good view on the beach if you want to sit in the sun. The lawn chairs and cushions are a bit tired, many of them had bird droppings on them, that had not been washed off in a number of days.

The beach is rocky once you get a couple of feet out, but I guess this is standard for the SW side of the island.

The final straw was the fact I got chewed up by some sort of biting insect as well. It does not seem that the culprit was mosquitoes, but rather sand fleas or more likely bed bugs. The pattern, location and number of bites, combined with the fact I never felt like I was getting bit while awake, lead to believe bedbugs are to blame. One of the other guys on the trip in another room also was affected, but the remaining 2 were not. In all my travels to Mexico and the Caribbean I have never been effected to this degree by biting insects.

Overall, I will not return to this resort. Perhaps this resort is comparable with other Cozumel hotels, but there are much nicer places in Playa.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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What a great place to relax and be pampered

Iberostar Cozumel

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4 of 5 stars
papadon 2 contributions
ft. worth tx
Nov 21, 2004
6/7 found this review helpful

What a great vacation. We were here 11-14 to 11-18 and the weather couldn't have been nicer. First I would like to command Funjet and Ryan Air for making the first and last leg of our trip a real pleasure, we even took off 30 minutes early which make the late arrival home (9:30 P.M.) easier for the people picking us up. Check in at the resort was fast (5 min.) and we got the room we requested which was less than 100 feet from the beach and about 150 from the pool. The pool area is hugh and clean with a lot of activity. The beach is beautiful with places in the sun or shade any time of the day. The rocks in the water are no big deal, bring water shoes or get in from the ladders on the pier. The food is not gourmet but you won't starve. The biggest problem I saw was the flies and birds that were all over the food. Just get there when they open or stick to the hot food or food that is served in covered trays. The Mexican restaurant has walls and windows so they don't have this problem. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The farthest walk to anywhere can't be more than 5 minutes, get out and enjoy nature. The mosquitoes where no problem, not a single bite till I got back to Texas. Make sure you go to the nightly entertainment and hope they have some good people in the audience that like to make fools of themselves, they made the shows. We want snorkling with Dressel but it was a BIG mistake. The trip was OK but they cater to divers and a lot of time is wasted dropping off and picking up divers. I would go on a party boat or a snorkle only trip next time. Don't forget to snorkle under the pier all the way to the end. Just be careful because the boats come and go in this area and your really not supposed to go under the pier but there were 100s of fish and I even saw a starfish and a horseshoe crab between the 1st and 2nd ladders. The maid leaves towel animals that are really cute and petals on the bed. If the rooms where just a tad bigger with a soft chair or loveseat they would be great. The bed could be a little softer and my request for a pad never was filled. My back still aches, don't know why they can't do something about this problem since it is mentioned by almost everyone. Overall this is a great resort with good food, plenty of drinks, pleasant staff, lots of entertainment and beautiful grounds. I don't know why so many people complain about everything, I guess its just their nature. Go to Iberostar and enjoy your vacation. We would return in a heartbeat.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Best Vacation Ever!

Iberostar Cozumel

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5 of 5 stars
A TripAdvisor Member
Sanger, Texas
Nov 20, 2004
5/6 found this review helpful

My Husband and I just returned from the Iberostar and absolutely loved it!!! We were there 11/14-11/18. The staff was very friendly, and I had my favorite bartenders, Marco and Candeliro they are alot of fun! One night we had reservations for the steak restraunt, and it was great. The drinks are wonderful, and they do not water them down. BELIEVE ME!! The dirty banana and the coco locos were my favorite. The nightly entertainment was very good, the staff works very hard to put on great shows. We will be returning to the Iberostar next year, but for a week this time!!!

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $260 (year-round)
Absolutely Wonderful Place!!!

Iberostar Cozumel

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5 of 5 stars
A TripAdvisor Member
Pittsburgh, PA
Nov 18, 2004
7/8 found this review helpful

Hola Amigos! My fiance and I stayed at the Iberostar Cozumel from November 9-13. I must say that we had such a wonderful time and didn't want to come home! Let me tell you a few things about the place. First off, the first thing I noticed was a wonderful lobby with a bar and many large chairs and couches to relax on. Check in took five minutes and they gave us a ride to our room on a golf cart, which comes in handy so you don't need to carry your luggage. Our room was great! We were on the second floor with the large thatch roof. We had one king bed and had more than enough space in the room. The marble bathroom was great also. The bed was firm, not hard as a rock. I was so tired at night from all the sun and activites during the day that I could've slept on rocks anyway. One tip: They give you pesos for change in the gift shop. The first day I was there I bought something and used the pesos for daily tips for the maids that cleaned our rooms. Our room was by the pool and there was no smell at all. The pool is definitely the place to be during the day, especially the swim up bar. Make sure you talk to the bartenders and ask about all the different tropical drinks they make. I loved the Dirty Monkeys they made. The beach was rocky for the first 10 feet into the water, but its no big deal. The Star Friends were great! They work during the day entertaining the guests and then perform their shows at night. The shows were really funny and enjoyable. The food was good. I found something I liked at each buffet. I also enjoyed the Mexican restaurant. The staff was very friendly and they take care of all of your requests.
The Iberostar provided the perfect tropical getaway! I highly recomend this place to anyone who is thinking about going to Cozumel. My fiance and I can't wait to go back!!! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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The BEST place in Cozumel - Hands down.

Iberostar Cozumel

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5 of 5 stars
A TripAdvisor Member
Austin, Texas
Nov 16, 2004
14/15 found this review helpful

We were there 11/12 through 11/15. I have been to 3 prior all-inclusives and have been to Cozumel before and Iberostar-Cozumel tops them all. The staff worked their tails off to please everyone and my hats off to them. The people there make the place. The waiters/bartenders waited on you hand and foot as if you were in an expensive restaurant. We don't even get service like that in the states where big tips are expected. The food...WOW. Was really good for all-inclusive. Great selection, presentation, and good quality. We ate at the Steak restaurant (reservations only) and it was really good. I recommend that one over the Mexican one (based on what I heard). The rooms were nice. We had a downstairs room off the beaten path and did not experience critters in our room. Nice marble floors and bathroom. The only gripe I had on that would be the hardness of the beds. Iberostar..please listen to people in these reviews and get softer beds. I like a firm bed..but not that firm. The alcholic beverages were outstanding, offering top shelf liquor and no watering down of drinks (that I could tell). The resort grounds were jungle like and very well kept. Lots of plants, flowers, wildlife. We took our 6 year old and she had a blast...she cried when it was time to leave. There is a kids club offered and Alicia is the best when it comes to leaving your children with her. My favorite spot was the pool swim up bar. I spent a lot of time there. We actually like the beach area. Nice shady palms to sit under. Yes the water area is rocky but there is nice white sand outside of the water on the shore. You can snorkel around the pier. Water sports area is nice with free sailboat, windsurfing, kayaking. You just take it. The nightly shows were good...dont miss the Mexican show. Outstanding cultural dancing. My hats off to the Waiters, bartenders, Mgmt staff, housekeeping, groundskeepers, recreation staff, and especially Alicia the kids club staff. You guys/girls are the best and we WILL be back. You have a really good thing going.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Iberostar Cozumel Also Known As

Address: Costera Sur, km. 17,785, Cozumel 77600, Mexico